Molding machine for making concrete building tile



Nov. 29, 1949 A. R. BARTH 2,489,737

MOLDING MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BUILDING TILE Filed Sept. 12, 1946 4Sheets-Sheet l v Alba/u 13.6111 5;

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MOLDING MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BUILDING TILE Filed Sept. 12, 1946 4Sheets-Sheet l03 lfl :2; E 113,..- 4:

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MOLDING MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BUILDING TILE Filed Sept. 12, 1946 4Sheets-Sheet 4 27 85 I 1 E- E 73 '74 46 3 714 x 95' ;z I b' 5 40 92 m/ I5 16 i g" 1 A I 52 77 V2 105 p3 J I00 97 1/0 107 v 24 "In,

lm'eutor Alba/ 2 B. Earl/2 By @mwiu (wig away 3m Patented Nov. 29, 1949UNITED STATS ATZENT QFFHCE MOLDING MACHINE :FOR -MAKING CQNCRETEBUILDING TILE 1 Claim. 1

This invent on relates to a machine for making building blocks and moreparticularly concrete hollow tile for building purposes.

llhe object of the invention is to provide a complete machine includinga mixer in which the gravel, sand, cement and water are deposited in therequired and proper correct proportions to be thoroughly mixed bypaddles driven by a motor mounted on the frame of the machine andprovided with a movable "hopper into which the concrete mixture isdischarged for depositing the same in a mold box in which the hollowtiles are formed and tanip e'd to compress the same in the requiredform, after which the hollow tiles are ejected from the mold box to araised position for removal, drying and setting, novel operating meansbeing provided for the tampers in vertical guides having shock absorbingmeans with means for intermittently connecting and disconnecting thetamping means for downward movement to tamp or compress the mixture inthe mold and means for elevating the tampers to an inoperative position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for completelyproducing the hollow tile or building blocks, including the mixing ofthe concrete mixture, as well as novel means for normally holding thetampe'rs in an elevated position so that they may be moved downwardly totarnp or compress the concrete mixture in the mold and for automaticallyraising the tampers after the hollow tile have been completed, 2 thatthe tempers are always in position to be lowered into operative ortamping position, in conjunction wi h means for ejecting the tile fromthe mold box after being formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hollow tile concreteblock machine which is comparatively compact, rigid and strong, andsuitable for being transported from place to place, so as to quickly andefliciently t" rn out concrete hollow tile blocks for building purposes.

(Ether objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine for making concrete hollowtiles for building purposes in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the machine;

Figure 4 is a side elevation;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a top plan view;

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail plan view of the platform for supportingthe movable hopper, and mold ducts beneath, and

Figure '8 is a perspective view of a hollow tile or building blockproduced by the machine.

By referring to the drawings in detail, in which like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the machine is shown as comprising a frame it including a base llcomprising a plate having a central opening 52 forming supportingportions at the ends of the base, which is further provided withup-turned side flanges 53 at the longitudinal edges thereof. At thefront end, upright corner posts 14 of angle iron, which in connectionwith upright posts l5 rearwardly thereof and extend ing above theupright posts i l, a mold box E6 of rectangular form in plan, is fixedso that the top of the mold box is in line with a horizontal table orplatform i'l supported by braces it at its. rear extension, inconunction with the upright posts i5 and forms and outwardly directedhorizontal flange it at the front and sides of the mold box. A hopper sowith inclined sides tapering downwardly and open at the top and bottomis slidably engaged with the side flanges l9 at the bottom of the hopperby means of grooved guides 25 and the open ended hopper is provided atthe front with a handle 22 by which it may be moved from over the moldbox back over the platform 5 i and vr'ce-versa, or forwardly over themold box. The mold box it is open at the bottom, but is provided withapartition having a surrounding depressed portion 23 fitting snugly atthe inside of the mold box and having spaced raised portions 25 foringcores of rectangular outline and producing a transverse depressedportion 25 therebetween designed to form a tile 28 of hollowconstruction as employed in connection with building blocks as shown inFigure 8 of the drawings, with a transverse connecting wall 2? withopenings 28 therethrough, formed by the raised portions or cores 24. Themold box is designed to produce two of such tiles or building blocks atone time, and is provided with a longitudinal dividing wall 29separating the two mold compartments at the bottom of which similarlyshaped pallets 3E3 are provided to move vertically therein on which thehollow tiles or building blocks are formed and by which they are adaptedto be raised or ejected from the mold in a manner to be later described.

Vertical rods 3| connect to the pallets 30 and operate through holes inthe depressed portion 23 and an apertured horizontal guide plate 32 heldin the upright corner posts l4 below the mold box l8, and extenddownwardly for adjustable connection at 33 through holes in a movablehorizontal guide plate 34 movable at its corners, within the uprightcorner posts 54 of angle iron, A link 35 is pivotally connected at 36centrally to the bottom of the guide plate 34 by means of a pivotbracket or apertured ears and has its lower end which is preferablyforked and apertured, pivotally connected at 31 to a link or arm 38 of abell crank lever fixed to a horizontal pivot shaft 39 mounted to turn atits ends in bearings G8 on the forward upright corner posts Hi to beturned by an operating lever 4| braced as at 42 to the shaft 39, towhich one end of the lever H is fixed and forming a part of the bellcrank lever extendin diagonally from the center of the shaft to thelever.

At the rear portion of the base if, the frame Ill has upright cornerposts 43 and the upper ends of the upright posts l and 43 support ahorizontal hopper 44 having a concave bottom 45 and inturned sideflanges 43 at the top and ends d'i mounted on brackets 58 at the upperends of the uprights l5 and 33, with bearings 49 for a horizontal mixershaft 59 having suitable paddles 5! fixed thereto and adapted to turnWithin the hopper in which is deposited the correct amount of material,such as gravel, sand, cement and water in correct proportions to bemixed. The shaft 58 is designed to be driven in any suitable manner, andas shown, is provided with a rear large fixed sprocket Wheel 52 drivenby an endless drive belt or chain 53 fro-m a small sprocket wheel 54fixed to the rear end of a horizontal counter-shaft 55 journaled at onside of the frame la in bearings 56 carried by the uprights l5 and 63 atsaid sides. The shaft '55 carries a fixed pulley 57 engaged by a belt 58disposed around a pulley 59 on one end of the rotor shaft 68 of a motor6!, preferably a variable speed electric motor mounted on the base II atthe back of the machine such as through the medium of cross bars 62extending between the side bars or flanges E3 on the bottom plate of thebase. In this way, the paddles are designed to be driven at the desiredspeed.

At the front, the hopper 44 of the mixer is provided with a dischargeopening 53 through which the mixture is designed to be discharged intothe hopper 23 when the latter is moved back or rearwardly over theplatform H from the mold box l5 to the dotted line position shown inFigure 5 of the drawings for receiving the mixture. The dischargeopening 63 is designed to be closed normally by a door E l shown inangular form and adapted to be tilted downwardly, although it may be ofany other suitable construction. The door 54 is connected to an arm E5rigid with a shaft 85 horizontally journaled in outstanding bearing armsi! at the front or spout end of the hopper at webs or plates 68 at theupper end of the upright posts is and having a fixed lever 69 at one endextending downwardly and rearwardly for pivotal connection at the freeend thereof as indicated at 70, to the upper rear end of an operatingrod ll slidably mounted on one side of the frame and provided with ahandle 12 at its forward end, for manipulating the door 64 to open andclose the same.

Disposed outwardly of opposite sides of the frame It equi-distantlybetween the forward corner posts 14 and uprights or posts [5 in linewith the rear posts or uprights M are vertical inwardly opening channelguides 13 connected and braced at the top by an arch member 14 andhaving their lower ends directed inwardly and downwardly as indicated atF5 for connection with horizontal cross-members or braces 16 connectedat the sides of the uprights or posts l4 and f5 to give support thereto.Additional braces ll are provided between the guides 13 and similarangle iron braces 18 above the braces 16 and parallel thereto,connecting the posts or uprights M at each side and provided withapertured ears is extending outwardly therefrom. Adjustable levers arepivoted at 8| in brackets 82 on the guides 13 near their upper ends forvertical swinging movement on the horizontal pivots, the outer arms ofthe lovers having adjustable extensions 83 to adjust the lengths of thearms through the medium of a series of spaced apertures 84 andfastenings or bolts 85 connectin the levers and extensions. Theextensions 83 are provided with a plurality of spaced holes 85 foradjustable connection therewith of the upper ends of tamper liftingsprings 8! which have their lower ends anchored in the apertured earsis, so as to vary the tension and leverage on the levers 59. Links 88having forked upper ends pivotally connected to the forwardly off-setinner arms of the levers so as indicated at 89, the links 88 beingpivotally connected at in divergent relation, to a cross-member 9|slidable vertically at its ends in the guideways formed by the channelsof the vertical guides 13. Spaced tampers 92 are carried by thecrossmember $1 to fit the mold box cavities and are mounted on the lowerends of spaced parallel triangular hanger plates 53 anchored at theirtapered upper ends in slots and the cross-member 91 and held in fixedspaced relation b a reinforcement rib or brace 84 at their front edges,so that the tampers 92 may pass through the hopper 29 to enter thecavities of the mold box Hi.

In order to actuate the tampers, which are normally held raised by thetension of the springs 8 the forward end of the mixer shaft 59 isprovided with a sprocket wheel 95 fixed thereto and engaged by a chain96 disposed around a sprocket wheel Sl loose on a shaft 98 fixed to theplates 68 at the upper end of upright l5 at one side of the machine andframe and having a tub provided with a clutch sleeve 99 designed to beengaged by a sliding clutch sleeve use also loose on the end of theshaft 98 and provided with a crank Hit. The crank Hll is pivotallyconnected at I02 to the lower end of a shock absorber connection betweenthe same and one of the levers 80, at the lower end of a rod I93 throughthe medium of a swiveled sleeve 104 through which the rod H33 extends,the sleeve being swiveled to the lever 88 and having springs We on therod m3 on opposite sides of the sleeve held in tension by adjustablecollars or stops lilii on the rod 493, so as to operate the levers 8iand act as a shock absorber by cushioning the throw and movementsthereof with the crank as the latter is rotated, to reciprocate thetampers up and down in the mold cavities. The sliding clutch member itsis slid back and forth through the medium of a lever it? having a fork168 at one end engaging in a groove of the clutch member or sleeve E63and slidably or pivotally mounted on a spring cushioned pin H39 on theadjacent guide 13 and having an out-turned end H0 forming a handle foractuating the lever to engage and disengage .the clutch for operativelyconnecting and disconnecting the tampers to the driving means.

In the operation of the machine as described,

the concrete mixture of gravel, sand, cement and water in correctproportions is deposited in the mixer and thoroughly mixed by Operationof the motor 61 to drive the paddles 5| through the medium of the belt58 and chain 53 to drive the shaft 50. When the concrete is thenproperly mixed, the hopper 20 is slid on the platform I! from the solidline position shown in Figure 5 to the dotted line position showntherein under the discharge opening or spout of the mixer. The door 64is then opened by pushing rearwardly on the rod H through the medium ofthe handle 12, to open the door and discharge the concrete mixture inthe hopper upon the platform or table II. The door 65 is then closed andthe hopper moved forwardly over the mold box to allow the concretemixture to drop into the mold cavities through the open bottom of thehopper. The lever I! is then shifted to connect the clutch member I00with the clutch member 99 to drive the crank I01 through its shockabsorbing connection with the levers 80, to cause oscillation of thelatter and reciprocation of the tampers 92 to force the concrete mixtureinto the mold cavities and tamp or pack the same tightly therein. Whenthis has been completed, the clutch through the crank IEH isdisconnected, the springs 81 serving to raise the levers 80 at theirinner ends by downward pull on the outer arms of the levers at theextensions 83. The tampers are shown on the upstroke and with the hopper20 move rearwardly in receiving position beneath the mixer, the lever 4|is swung forwardly and downwardly and through the articulated linkconnection thereof at 35 and 38, with the plate 34, the rods 3| will beelevated to raise the pallets 30 to move upwardly in the mold boxcavities to raise the hollow tile or building blocks 26 thereon in themanner shown in dotted lines in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings so as tomake and eject two of the hollow tiles or building blocks at a time. Thetiles are then removed for stacking. It will thus be seen that I haveprovided a very compact, strong, rigid and efiicient machine for makingconcrete hollow tile or building blocks for building purposes, which maybe conveniently operated by a single person from the front of themachine once the motor is started to efficiently and quickly turn outthe tile for economical building purposes in the manner described.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

A machine for making hollow concrete tile or building blocks comprisinga frame and a mold box mounted on the machine, tampers having across-member secured in said frame, a pair of levers secured to saidframe, tension means secured to said levers and urging said tampers intoinoperative position, a pulley-driven shaft, a clutch member having acrank connectible with the driving shaft, lever means to operate theclutch to reciprocate the tampers, and means for cushioning themovements of the levers mounted on said levers.

ALBERT R. EARTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 5,1929 Number Number

